Dampf Loc | Local Option

0 characters.
We love reviews! Turn your rating into one with ≥ 150 characters. Awesome. Thanks for the review!

In English, explain why you're giving this rating. Your review must discuss the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) and your overall impression in order to indicate that you have legitimately tried the beer. Nonconstructive reviews may be removed without notice and action may be taken on your account.

Notes / Commercial Description:
Dampf Loc is an all-barley warm fermented ale brewed by the folks from Chicago’s Local Option; inspired by “Dampfbier” (literally “steam beer”) originally crafted by medieval peasant inhabitants of southeast Bavaria. During the fermentation process generous amounts of foam and surface bubbles burst in the tank, giving the illusion that the ferment is boiling or “steaming.” Tony Russomanno and Noah Hopkins took it upon themselves to brew Dampf Loc as a modern interpretation of its Teutonic predecessor, creating a “Hefe Gerste” ale that is true to its roots; unmistakable in character yet accessible to beer drinkers of all palates.

More User Reviews:

L: Pours hazy gold to amber under a 1” bone white cap with very fine bubbles. Produces light lace.
S: Overripe fruit aromas very faint banana, traces of caramel and berry.
T: Has a light caramel flavor with most of the sweetness fermented out backed by berry with a mild hop accent.
F: Very creamy with a medium body and fermentation.
O: They have fermented this at the higher end of the range to pull out more funky fruit flavors in a beer with moderate alcohol levels.

500 ml bottle poured into lager glass. No bottle dating found. Some sediment remained stuck to the bottom of the bottle.

Pours lightly hazy, copper-orange in color. There is a lot of visible carbonation that rises to a moderate size, off-white head with good retention. Some streaks and patches of sticky lacing cling to the glass.

Aroma: Earthy and herbal hops with grains in about equal measure but with the hops a little more prominent than the malty aspects. Hints of yeast, honey and mild spices.

Taste: More malty/bready than the aroma indicates. Hints of honey and apple juice. Mild bitterness even on the finish

Feel: Medium carbonation and body, with both leaning towards a higher level. Smooth and soft.

Overall: a good beer for sure, but not as distinctive as the description (e.g., "unmistakable in character") suggests. Enjoyment increased as I headed towards the bottom of the glass. Good with food.

(Served in a tulip glass)
A- This beer pours a clear slightly dense aged copper body with a gentle sea of swirling microbubbles and a creamy light tan head that pushes above the glass and holds its shape.

S- The mineral water aroma is followed by a husky brown malt note that is very soft and pretty clean. The more it opens the more it starts to smell like iced tea.

T- The pale malt and fresh brown malt flavor has some toasted malt character with a spicy note in the finish. There is a tangy dried leaves taste that turns more into an iced tea taste with some green hop notes in the aftertaste. As the beer opens up it starts to taste more like fresh brown wort.

M- There is a medium-light mouthfeel with a gentle fizz in the finish and no alcohol heat noticed.

O- This beer has an amazing head with some great fresh malt flavor but the odd iced tea and bitter green hops finish is odd and really gets in the way of the taste.

Poured from a 500 ML bottle into a pint glass. The appearance is a murky golden amber with a medium sized white head. The aroma is very fruity with some caramel. The taste is light caramel with some fruit, has faint hops in the background.

Enjoyed from the bottle in a snifter. This FINE steam lager pours a lightly hazy deep amber with a beautiful head of white foam that dissipates to a thin layer and thick ring with some stupendous lacing. A very clean nose of light caramel malts, honey suckle, light bittering hops, and moderate grain notes. Flavors surpass with a sweet honey caramel flavor that has some medium bitterness to cut through the sweetness with a light grain and sweet note on the back of the taste and a crisp finish. Begs for a plate of spicy food. Great mouth feel with moderately high carbonation finishes wet, clean, and refreshing.

Dampf Loc is a revival of a lesser known and virtually extinct Bavarian style, Dampfbier. "It is warm-fermented with Weissbier yeast at a temperature above 70°F (21°C)" ...more info can be found here: http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/Dampfbier.html

Into a large tapered mug the beer pours a deep saturated sunset orange color. Long lasting head of white foam that leaves sudsy lace all around the glass.

Earthy bitter aftertaste, very malt forward upfront with more toasted grain and husky grains in the middle. Effervescent feel, fairly light bodied and quaffable. Seemingly simple, but with enough nuance to keep things interesting. Would like to try on tap for comparison...